A Quick Preamble: A personal confession first - supposed to be good for the soul, right..?!? These days, because of learning a lot of things the hard way - generally by myself, I really bear no resemblance to the "socially-challenged" young man I once was... but I certainly know exactly what you're going through if you suffer from crippling anxiety attacks. During my "younger" years, due to a distinct lack of self-confidence with the added 'bonus' of several years of depression and low self-esteem, I was seriously very prone to anxiety attacks... and the attacks always happened just before I had to venture to places where I knew there was going to be others - even if there was only going to be one other person, I'd find myself frozen on the spot because I was certain that something terrible was about to happen to me... …show more content…
and in my particular case, it wasn't even the thought of a sudden heart attack or inexplicably dropping dead that did me in - although these worries and other worse ones certainly had their part to play in my affliction, it was more the worry of "embarrassment". I'm talking about an anxiety level that's way above the normal everyday run-of-the-mill minor anxieties that everybody feels as we all go through the normal motions and challenges of our life. Yep, the ridiculous thought of seriously embarrassing myself one way or another and having others witness it and then laughing at me would push me into a full-blown, out-n-out, freeze-on-the-spot, can't breathe, heart accelerating panic attack..! An official Psychiatric definition is: a nervous disorder characterised by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behaviour or panic attacks. Does this all sound kinda familiar to you..? Can you relate to what I'm describing here..? These are the few NATURAL no-drugs-no-psychiatrist tricks I learned and persevered with to become the confident, self-assured man I now believe myself to
Panic disorder- sudden intense and unprovoked feelings of terror and dread. People who suffer from this disorder generally develop strong fears about when and where their next panic attack will occur, and often restrict their activities as a result.
I am an undocumented student at UC Davis. When I am asked a simple question such as, "describe your personal experiences", I ask myself: Where do I begin?
Anxiety is a monster that most people have to deal with on a daily basis. Even though anxiety is not actually a monster it still torments thousands of people every day, leaving them weak and scared. Anxiety defined means “distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune” defined by Dictionary.com. In the epic poem of Beowulf, one could say that the townspeople had anxiety when it came to Grendel because they feared what he could do to them.
fear of death would be the only thing on my mind. Or fear of having my house burnt
Anxiety is an extremely common feeling that occurs in everyday life. If I go out and meet new people, I get anxious while initiating a conversation with them. If any kind of crisis will happen in front of me for the first time I will get anxious for sure. For example,
One of the characteristics of a phobia is a feeling that is greater than the fear of a situation or object with an exaggeration of the danger associated with the said situation or even object. This persistent fear often leads to an anxiety disorder that leads an individual to develop mechanisms that ensure one avoids the object or situation that triggers the occurrence of the phobia. Phobias can have highly debilitating effects on an individual including the development of depression, isolation, substance abuse, and even suicide. Many people take phobia for granted however, it is clear that it has the potential to impair the quality of life for both the affected and the people around them. The fact that many of the phobias are manageable using
Anxiety is a normal reaction to a threatening situation and results from an increase in the amount of adrenaline from the sympathetic nervous system. This increased adrenaline speeds the heart and respiration rate, raises blood pressure, and diverts blood flow to the muscles. These physical reactions are appropriate for escaping from danger but when they cause anxiety in many situations throughout the day, they may be detrimental to a normal lifestyle. An anxiety disorder is a disorder where feelings of fear, apprehension, or anxiety are disruptive or cause distortions in behavior, (Coon, 526); they are psychiatric illnesses that are not useful for normal functioning. At times, an underlying illness or disease can cause persistent anxiety. Treatment of the illness or disease will stop the anxiety. Anxiety illnesses affect more than 23 million Americans with about 10 million Americans suffering from the most common, general anxiety disorder . (Harvard, 1). Common anxiety disorders are panic attacks (panic disorder), phobias, and general anxiety disorder (GAD). Panic attacks Panic attacks can begin with a feeling of intense terror followed by physical symptoms of anxiety. A panic attack is characterized by unpredictable attacks of severe anxiety with symptoms not related to any particular situation. (Hale, 1886). The person experiencing the attack may not be aware of the cause. Symptoms include four or more of the following: pounding heart, difficulty breathing, dizziness, chest pain, shaking, sweating, choking, nausea, depersonalization, numbness, fear of dying, flushes, fear of going crazy. Heredity, metabolic factors, hyperventilation, and psychological factors may contribute to anxiety causing panic attacks.
The official definition of a disorder is: persistently harmful thoughts, feelings, and actions. It has been defined as anything that is deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional. It is also based on situation because a soldier killing during wartime may not be considered killing but a civilian in Iowa killing might be considered deviant.
People with social anxiety may usually experience extreme distress in some of these situations: when they are being introduced to other people, being teased or criticized, being the center of attention, meeting important people or authoritative people, being watched while doing something, having to announce something in a public situation, embarrassing easily, or making eye contact. Social anxiety may be selective, though. A person may have an extreme fear of one occasion, such as public speaking, but be perfectly comfortable in any other situation.
Anxiety is part of life; everyone feels it to one degree or another during their lives. However, when that feeling of anxiety starts to take over your life, or is persistent beyond a certain time in our lives (e.g. a speech in class) then a person may have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are characterized by extreme distress, persistent anxiety, or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety.
If you have ever been tense before an exam, a date, or a job interview, you have some idea of what anxiety feels like. Increased heart rate, sweating, rapid breathing, a dry mouth, and a sense of dread are common components of anxiety. But episodes of modern anxiety are a normal part of the life for most people. But what anxiety is so intense and long lasting that it impairs a person’s daily functioning is called an anxiety disorder. It is a general term for several disorders that cause apprehension, nervousness, fear, and worrying. These disorders affect how we feel and behave, and they can manifest real physical symptoms. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating, having a serious impact on daily life.
All of us at one point in our life have had a fear of something, whether it’s public speaking, trying something new for the first time, or even presenting just like we're all going to be doing. I'm sure most of us will be nervous and we try our best to get rid of that feeling. Some people have Social anxiety which is known as social phobia. It is the fear of social interaction with other people and of being judged and looked down upon. It can also be a fear of embarrassment. This leads to feelings of inadequacy, self-consciousness, and depression. Social anxiety is an issue that affects many individuals as it should be taken more seriously and should not be considered as a weakness. Moreover, individuals with social anxiety should not be judged
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations that helps in the coping process for individuals. On some occasions, anxiety may become so severe that it impairs the ability to cope and can create psychosocial impairment. High levels of anxiety that interfere with daily activities and social interaction are considered a psychiatric disorder. Anxiety disorders are treatable and can have profound effects on the psychosocial aspect of the individuals life.
There is a point in everyone’s life when they step back and realize “I can’t do this anymore, it’s ruining my life”. Many of my friends have started smoking cigarettes while drinking at a very young age, and continue to use this drug currently and don’t realize the affect it has on their future. While I have been smart enough to avoid smoking, I haven’t been as wise at making decisions when it comes to drinking. The amount of partying I’ve done in college has taken over my life, and has had a huge impact on my grades. Changing my drinking habits and continuing to avoid cigarettes will enable me to be the best I can be for the rest of my college experience.
We finish what we start. This was the motto that kept me going during the strenuous training period for a marathon. But prior to that, I must confess, I wasn’t an athlete. I was never interested in playing sports, except for recreational badminton. During gym class, I would walk three quarters of the time when it time for the dreaded mile run. I preferred staying indoors and sitting on the couch and watch movies. The first time I had heard about a marathon training program, called Dreamfar, in my school, I thought to myself, what kind of crazy person would want to run a marathon? Never did I realize, eight months later, I would be that crazy person.